Disney Fans Have Spotted Strange Details In The Little Mermaid

In 1989 The Little Mermaid kicked off the "Disney Renaissance" and helped make the struggling House of Mouse relevant again. The movie was hailed by critics, scored $235 million at the global box office, and even won two Oscars. So naturally, it holds a special place in the hearts of Disney fans everywhere. But as a live-action remake gears up for a 2023 release, people have started to notice some strange under-the-sea story elements that might not fly with modern audiences.

Age is just a number... Right?

The first issue with The Little Mermaid that people have pointed out is that Ariel is only 16 when she ties the knot with Prince Eric. That makes Ariel the equivalent of a high school sophomore. And while Eric is only 18 years old, this still feels way too young for two people to get married. According to The Knot, the average American getting hitched in 2021 was 34 years old.

Part of this world?

Disney may have gone some way toward addressing this problem with the 2023 remake, though. The actor who plays Ariel — Halle Bailey — in this movie turned 21 years old when The Little Mermaid was filmed. And Jonah Hauer-King — who plays Eric — turned 26 years old during shooting, too. We don't know the ages of their characters, of course, but this suggests that people can at least rest easy about the age difference on show.

"Under the Sea" issues

But what about other issues with the original The Little Mermaid? Sebastian's iconic rendition of "Under the Sea" is arguably one of the animated classic's catchiest songs — and comes at a very memorable moment in the film. Yet if you take a closer look at the performers of this lighthearted tune about living under the sea, things start to get a bit fishy.

Clear caricatures

People have argued that the cast of characters who perform the song in The Little Mermaid appears to feature racial stereotypes. First, there's the so-called "Fluke of Soul," who is clearly meant to be a reference to the "Duke of Soul" Gene Chandler. And second, there's a character called "Blackfish" who has oversized lips. There was even a change.org petition to demand that Disney remove these fish from the film. And the controversy doesn't stop there.